Steel Hearts

- 50 -

After calming down, we decided we should keep going. There were two stones left to return.

One on Vormir and one in the 70s.

We had decided that the military base in the 70s would be more of a hassle to navigate, so we decided to visit there last. The blue and green walls of the quantum realm seeming felt even larger than the last few times we had gone through. Both of our feet kicked up dirt as we popped onto another alien planet. There was an incredibly ominous atmosphere surrounding us when we arrived. It made my stomach turn.

Neither of us knew exactly where we were or even if we had gotten there before Natasha and Barton. Gravel crunched beneath our boots as we walked toward the mountain in front of us. It grew colder the higher we climbed and a few too many patches of ice had caught me off guard.

Steve's hand shot out and grasped my upper arm as I slipped for what felt like the millionth time. Once I had stabilized, he asked, "You okay?"

I only nod in response as we continue our hike up the mountain. The wind whipped around us, blowing not only hair but also the skirt of my suit all over the place.

"Welcome."

An ominous voice echoed through the rock formations that surrounded us. The sound of a sword unsheathing and a gun cocking served as all the warning I needed to know that Natasha and Barton had arrived before us. Peeking around a corner briefly, I see a large cloaked figure floating in front of the two of them.

"Natasha. Daughter of Ivan. Clint. Son of Edith."

We crouched between a wall and a nearby boulder, giving us just enough wiggle room to watch them before they left. Steve pulled me down when I had almost popped my head up too far when the cloaked figure spoke to them the second time.

"Who are you?" Natasha asked as she and Barton move forward tentatively.

"Consider me a guide... to you... and to all who seek the Soul Stone," the figure spoke again. The swirling of the tattered cloak was both mesmerizing and altogether terrifying.

"Oh good. You tell us where it is, then we'll be on our way."

They spoke in German briefly before stepping into the light toward our two friends, "If only it were that easy."

As he stepped into the light Steve's face fell. He recognized the person and I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

The person stepped forward and walked slowly toward an enormous cliff as he spoke, "What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear."

"The stone's down there," Natasha concluded, looking down off the side of the cliff.

"For one of you. For the other... To take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul for a soul."

My eyebrows dipped in mild confusion before the realization hit me. This is when Nat dies. How could I have forgotten? We had spent the last four stones putting off this exact moment. Steve and I will have to watch our friend sacrifice herself to save half of the universe. Natasha was the epitome of a hero and even if she never opened up about her past to any of us, she deserved to die a hero's death. This wasn't when she thought she would die I knew that at least, but she would sacrifice everything to save everyone and I admired that deeply.

While getting caught in my thoughts, Natasha had sat down on a log while Barton stood a few feet away.

"How's it going?" Barton chuckled before he starts pacing, "Jesus... Maybe he's making this shit up."